Pompey defender adamant best team lost

Neil Allen

Pompey fans react to Burgess decision

Sam Sodje believes the best side lost as Brentford’s late, late show undid Pompey.

The Blues appeared to be heading for a 2-1 Griffin Park victory when Saturday’s match entered the 85th minute.

Then two goals in two minutes turned the match on its head, with Bradley Wright-Phillips and Clayton Donaldson netting.

It gave the hosts a dramatic 3-2 triumph to keep alive their hopes of an automatic promotion spot.

For Pompey fans it slightly soured a week which saw them buy their football club.

And Sodje admitted there was a sense of injustice among the players at the final whistle.

He said: ‘They were silly goals to give away.

‘The second one was a striker being in the right place at the right time.

‘But the third we lost the ball in a very bad area.

‘We had time to kill the game off and be professionals but we didn’t do that.

‘I didn’t think we had any problems up to that point, I didn’t think it was a hard game for me, it was an easy game until the goals.

‘But that is what striker’s are about.

‘To be honest, it was so easy for me but strikers don’t play that hard, they score goals.

‘I don’t think the game showed the way it went, I thought we were the better side, with respect.

‘Watching the game, seriously there was no way we were losing that, I didn’t think we were in any danger all through the game.

‘They had four shots on goal.

‘Brentford are a lovely club but no – there’s no way they should have won.

‘The feelings in the dressing room afterwards were really bad.’

Sodje was back in the Blues starting line-up following a hamstring injury to Ricardo Rocha.

He once again impressed with his rugged presence in the centre of the back four alongside Gabor Gyepes.

But the perfect ending to a dream week didn’t quite get over the line as Brentford struck two late goals.

Sodje, like the other Pompey players, followed the progress of Wednesday’s landmark court case with great interest from afar. The result was the judge ratifying a last-gasp deal between administrators BDO and Portpin over the value of their charge.

Now the experienced defender believes the club is well positioned to enjoy a stable future.

He added: ‘I wanted the win on Saturday for the fans after a great week.

‘That didn’t happen so we have to move on and hopefully get a win next weekend.

‘But the main thing is the club is going to have a future and next season can improve.

‘We (the players) were following what was happening at court in the week, definitely.

‘It’s a lovely club and has the best fans ever.

‘You could see that on Saturday – they were incredible.

‘The fans will drive the club forwards, I am sure of that. They can only do good here.

‘We wanted the win and we should have had the win but it was not to be.

‘We now look ahead to the next game and try to get the win in that one.’